One Thing I Discovered this Week

Why true understanding takes more than reading — and how Seneca realized it

I know I know, here I am promising to tell you one thing I discovered this week, when I haven't managed to post in several months. One thing I discovered in the last six months would be more accurate. Less clickable though.

You know what it's like. The intention to do something is there and then even the smallest distraction knocks you off course.

I'll take out the rubbish before I start.

I'd better change that light bulb it'll only take five minutes.

The car needs fuel.

I'll go for a walk to clear my head.

My calculator needs a new battery, I'll buy one on Amazon.

Now I'd better call my mother.

And then?

And then it's 4pm, I ought to start preparing the evening meal. I'll do my proper work tomorrow. I despair to think how many days I lost to the fantasy that work will start as soon as I complete the next small task. More than the number of unread books on my shelves.

That's the genius of procrastination: it's the master of deception and self-sabotage. A thief, robbing you of your future accomplishments, turning them to ashes. But I may have found a way of, if not beating it then putting up a decent fight.

I let it think it's won. I procrastinate and as soon as the procrastination monster is satisfied I catch it off guard, because my procrastination now comes with rules. Actually just one rule. When I drift away from the planned task, the writing, recording or editing and I catch myself dusting the window sill or the cat or researching the prices of mini pcs I don't plan to buy, I read. That's the rule, I have to read. Books. Not news stories or the opening times for a local National Trust building, but a book. If I don't want to read a book, the only other allowable option is the original task.

And it led me to a serendipitous discovery that I want to share.

Seneca wrote about the science of learning over 2000 years ago

What would I tell my 18 or 15 year old self if I could go back in time? A lot! One of the top 3 would be 'Learn Philosophy', read and write about it as much as possible. It's a huge regret that it came into my life so late. Most weeks I discover something new. This week it was Seneca, the Roman philosopher. While procrastinating I picked up a book of essays by Zadie Smith, one mentioned Seneca. It was so interesting that I ordered 'Letters from a Stoic'. It's a collection of short essays giving advice about different aspects of life. I guess I've read about half of them. How can a man writing two thousand years ago have so much insight into our contemporary lives? It's all so relevant, apart from the togas. His wisdom and facility to express it is incredible and intimidating. Complex ideas, simply put.

In On the Futility of Learning Maxims, he explains how learning what others have said or written is not true knowledge, which can only come from developing your own thoughts and ideas; assimilating what you read and experience and transforming it into your own insight and wisdom. As my eyes scanned across the ancient words my thoughts shifted to the recent academic papers I read which have the same message. 2000 years ago Seneca was expressing what cognitive research only recently discovered. His other essays are just as prescient. His book, Letters from a Stoic is next to me as I type this line, I can't wait to pick it up and continue reading (does that still count as procrastination?). I think you will enjoy it too. Get yourself a copy.

Giles